mitchell



0. H. MITCHELL.

SWITCH ACTUATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 19l9- Patented Dec. 23; 1919 3 SHEETS-SHEET I- M 5 F I l I; ;h

' 35 {Laumniwa C. H. MITCHELL.

SWITCH ACTUATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11. 1919.

1,325,797. v Patented Dec. 23,1919.

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' Skier/mu nsuZa/ian C. H. MITCHELL.

SWITCH ACTUATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION nun JUNE 11', 1919.

1,325,797. Patented. Dec. 23,1919.

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"UNITED CLARENCE H. MITCHELL, 0E WATERBUBIY, NEBRASKA.

SWITCHACTUATING MECHANISM.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,267.

and particularly to means for operating a railway switch from a moving train approaching the switch, the means being under the control of the engineer.

The generalobject of my invention is to provide a mechanism by which an engineer of a train approaching the switch may throw the switch to either of its two positions.

A further object is to provide a switching mechanism including a switch operating member which constitutes an armature, and provide opposltely dlsposed series of solenoids or magnetic coils coacting with this armature or switch operating member, provide means 011 the train for causing an electrical current to be sent into one or the other of these coils to thereby cause the switch operating member to be shifted, and provide means actuated by the switch operating member which will direct current from the train into one or the other of the coils,de

. pending upon the position of the switch.

A further object is toprovide a structure of this character which is simple inconstruoti.on, which is easily and positively operated, and which will also indicate visually the position of the switch.

Other objects will appear inthe course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a railway switch with my switch operating mechanism in connection therewith;

Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the housing for the switch'operating mechanism, the operating mechanism being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pair of solenoids, the actuating lever 14: beingin section;

Fig. 4C is a sectional view of a solenoid core with the lever engagedtherewith;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the rack and sector gear;

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation, partlyin SEQ tion, of the trolley and the car wheel with which it engages; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the car wheel 011 the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to these drawings, A designates the rails of a railroad track, and B the switch points coacting therewith, the points being mounted inthe usual manner so as to shift into or out of engagement with the rails A whereby to open or close the switch. Disposed upon a suitable concrete or other foundation is a metallic casing 11 having an aperture at its upper end within which a signal shaft 12 is mounted for rotation and which carries a visible signal 13. Mounted within the casing is a vertically disposed lever 14 which is pivoted, at 15, in suitable supports mounted upon the base so that the lever moves in a vertical plane. The lower end of this lever is formed with arcuately disposed rack teeth 16 engageable with the rack teeth on the end of the switch actuating rod 10 which is, of course, connected to the points. i

Disposed within the housing on opposite sides of the lever 14- are one or more solenoids 17. I have illustrated a plurality of solenoids 17 on each side of the lever 14 and the solenoids on each side are connected in series so that the solenoids on either side will operate simultaneously when a current is passed through that particular set of solenoids. The lever is operatively connected to the cores 18 of these solenoids, and thus when one series of solenoids is energized, the other series being deencrgized, the lever will be drawn toward those solenoids which are energized. The upper end of the lever carries a rack 19 which engages a sector gear 20 on the lower end of the signal mast 12 so that when the lever is shifted it will cause the shifting of the signal 13 to a position indicating safety, that is when the switch is closed, and that when the switch is shifted in the other direction, the switch with the contact 23 of the magnet 21.

Mounted upon the lever 14 is an electrical switch arm 24 which is preferably pivoted upon the lever and held yieldingly in a normal relation to the lever 14 by means of a spring or springs 25. This switch arm carries upon it an armature 26 and a contact 27, the armature coacting with the cores of the electromagnets 21 and 22 and the contact 27 contacting with the contacts 23 of these magnets. from one of the rails of the track to the lever 14 and is electrically connected to the contact 27, while a return wire 29 is electrically connected to each series of solenoids and to the other rail of the track.

One of they front truck wheels of the locomotive has a metallic rim 3O insulated from the'remainder of the wheel and whereby current can be conveyed to the rail upon which it runs, and coacting with this metallic rim is a roller 31 which is yieldingly forced against this rim by a spring, this roller 31 constituting a trolley. This rail is electrically connected by a wire 32 to a switch contact 33, coacting with a switch blade .34. This blade is electrically connected to a source of current, as for instance a battery 35 which may be carried on the engine or may be a storage battery disposed alongside the track, but in either case when the blade is open to engage the contact 33, a circuit will be completed from the sourceof current through the wire 32, to the trolley wheel 31, thence to the rim 30, and thence to one of the track rails, and by conductor 28 to contact 27, and from thence to one or the other of these series of solenoids. When the switch is open, for instance, then the lever 14 will be shifted to the right in Fig.1 1, and the contact 27 will be engagefi now the switch blade 34 be shifted into engagement with the contact 33, a circuit will be completed from the source of current through the electric magnet 22, energizing this magnet, and through the solenoids D and back to the battery, either through a suitable ground or through a metallic circuit as desired.

'Inasmuch as the solenoids C will be en ergized, they will act to draw the lever 14 over to the left in Fig. 1, thus shifting the switch points to close the switch, that is shifting the switch points in a direction to permit the tram to pass onto the main line. The contact 27 wlll remain engaged with v the contact 23 of magnet 21, while the lever 14 is being shifted, for the reason that the magnet 21 will be energized and will attract the armature 26 until such time as the switch lever has moved so far as to so increase the tension of the spring 25 as to cause the armature 26 to leave the core of magnet 21 and then the arm 24 will shift quickly under the action of the spring 25 to a position that A conductor 28 extends will electrically engage the contact 23 of magnet 22. At this time, however, the lever has shifted to its full extent and the switch points are fully thrown. The next train approaching the switch, on a closing of the circuit, through its actuating switch in the cab, will now cause the series 1) of solenoids to be energized and this will cause the reverse movement of the switch, that is the switch points will be shifted so as to open the siding. Of course, if the next following train desires to pass onto the siding, the engineer will not apply the current.

By the means illustrated it is possible, by actuating the cab switch, to cause the switch points to be shifted from one position to the other. lVhile I have illustrated a pivoted switch arm 24 with springs for causing a movement of the switch arm after the switch lever has been shifted a predetermined distance, I do not wish to be limited to this, as it is obvious that other means might be used for accomplishing this end, that is for maintaining a circuit through one series of solenoids while the lever 14 is moving from one position to another position and then breaking the connection through said series and making electrical connection to the other series of solenoids. The lever 14 may be weighted above its pivot so as to urge it in one direction or the other after it has passed its center or medial position, or other means may be used for thispurpose. Even without a weight, however, the lever will. tend to fall in one direction or the other after it has passed its median position because of the proportion between the upper arm of the lever and the lower arm thereof.

It will be seen that my device is very simple, that current may be taken from a storage battery 01' other source on the locomotive or train or from a storage battery or other source located alongside the track and forming part, for instance, of the railway switch and signal system, and it will also be seen that the switch 34 may be used in a tower to cause the shifting of a switch located some distance away. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the location of the hand operated switch, that is the switch blade 34, nor the detailed construction of this switch, nor do I wish to be limited to the exact arrangement illustrated, as many modifications might be made in the arrangeatin g member and shiftable into engagement with one or the other of the first named contacts by the shifting of the switch, and manually controlled means for completing a circuit from a source of energy to the said contact carried bythe switch actuating means.

2. lhe combination with a railway switch, of means for actuating the switch comprising a pivoted actuating member, oppositely disposed series of solenoids operatively engaged with the member, a feed wire connected in a normal open circuit with a source of energy, manually operable means for closing said circuit through the feed wire, and means actuated by a full movement of the switch actuating member in one direction, breaking the circuit through a previously actuated series of solenoids and said feed wire, and completing a circuit from said feed wire through the other series of solenoids.

3. The combination with a railway switch, of means for actuating the switch comprising a pivoted actuating member, oppositely disposed series of solenoids operatively engaged with the member, a feed wire connected in a normal open circuit with a source of energy, manually operable means for closing said circuit through the feed wire, and means actuated by a full movement of the switch actuating member in one direction, breaking the circuit through a previously actuated series of solenoids and said feed wire, and completing a circuit from said feed wire through the other series of solenoids, said means comprising oppositely disposed electro-magnets, each connected to one of the series of solenoids, and a contact connected in series with said magnets and solenoids, and an arm pivoted upon the actuating member and extending out between said magnets and carrying a contact and armature, the contact being connected to said feed wire, and means yieldingly hold ing the arm in a normal position.

a. The combination with a railway switch, of means for actuatingthe switch including a switch actuating member, movable in one direction or the other, oppositely disposed series of solenoids which, when energized, will shift the switch actuating member, each series of solenoids being connected in circuit with the opposite rails of the track, and means for closing the circuit through said rails and through one or the other series of solenoids comprising a wheel running on said rails and having an insulated, metallic rim engaging with one of said rails, a trolley wheel engaging said rim and yicldingly urged thereagainst, and a manually actuatable switch including a contact, and a switch blade, one connected to a source oi energy and the other to said trolley.

In testimony whereof ll hereunto my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE l-l. MITCHELL.

.Witnesses:

Mrs. S. H. Barns, CHAS. Mirormnn. 

